


Just a kid

by JackGiggles



Series: Dream SMP [1]
Category: Dream SMP (Fandom), Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: AwesamDAD am I right, Dream Smp, Dream is the fae and you can't change my mind, Gen, Minecraft, One-Shot, Pandora's Box, Protective Sam | Awesamdude, Redstone (Minecraft), This is probably heavily OOC but I just want something cute, ender-walk state, just something mindless I made because I want them to interact more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:53:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29538504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackGiggles/pseuds/JackGiggles
Summary: Sam wants to take a break from the Prison, so he takes a walk right before the sun arises near the newly rebuilt Community House. However, he runs across their local enderman-hybrid who's looking a bit worse for wear.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: Dream SMP [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170077
Comments: 4
Kudos: 101





	Just a kid

Being a warden was taxing, not just physically in the case someone was dumb enough to try and break and enter. But emotionally as well, as Sam had to develop a stronger and harder appearance and outlook to keep things in order. It was for the best, no chances could be taken with what chaos could unleashed if something went wrong. God knows what Dream could do if let loose even for a minute- Pandora's Box indeed.

But when he could afford a minute to wind down, he relished each moment of peace. Deciding a break was well needed to keep his mind sharp, he took a walk one early morning before the sun started to rise. By the time he reached the community house it would be fully dawn, so he got to watch a nice sunrise reflect off the water nicely. Satisfied with this, he sat down near the base of the stairs, admiring the work Puffy put into rebuilding efforts after what had went down... back what really felt like a lifetime ago. The server was like that, things that felt like a lifetime happened a week or so ago.

As Sam fiddled with the wiring in a small red stone lamp, just to keep his hands busy, did something in the corner of his eyes catch his attention. Outdoors in the orange rays of dawn was a tall and lanky silhouette, one that it took Sam a second to recognize due to their disheveled appearance. Two-toned hair stuck up at odd angles, dirty and matted like he went mining for weeks without any comb or brush on hand, the occasional scrape here and there on his hands and cheek, not deep enough for much bleeding but still a bit concerning. Especially combined with the dirt that caked the bottom of his dress pants, armourless and suit tattered at the edges.

Sam noted that, without direct eye contact, the red and green ender eyes had a hazy look to them, cloudy and unfocused as Ranboo stared at the water below for a minute, unmoving. Sam stood up, pocketing the red stone lantern for later as he took slow and careful steps outside. Ranboo then moved, rather quickly as he stumbled further down the path that Sam thought he set the ender-hybrid off on accident. But Ranboo made no other indication that he noticed anything specific in his surroundings as he paused once more nearby a patch of grassy mounds.

The Warden was no longer as surprised to see the towering teen pick up a grass block with ease, as the whole server at this point just accepted this was the nature of their local ender-hybrid. He watched for a moment as unfocused eyes peered at the grass block, one that managed to bloom a healthy looking daisy. The boy made a chirp-like sound, walking a few paces ahead mindlessly and placed the block back on the ground gently.

The creeper tilted his head, and made up his mind about confronting the lanky teen as he just stared off into space, barely moving again.

"Ranboo?" He asked, as gently as possible as he tried to make his presence known as to not startle the hyrbid. He didn't responded at first, dirty clawed hands clenching and unclenching and Sam winced at imagining how much dirt and dust must've got under the claw-like nails. Did he go late-night digging, without any form of protection? God forbid it rained while he was in this... state, whatever it was.

Ranboo's ears twitched a bit towards Sam's direction, but no further response.

"Ranboo, c'mon kiddo." He stood besides the hybrid, avoiding eye contact as he peered up a bit at him. While not easy to see on the darker side of his face, the dark rings under his left eye were deep, which did spark concern to Ranboo's sleeping habits.

Sleeping... I feels like he heard something about that, regarding the enderman-hybrid.

"Ranboo" He asked once more in a hushed tone, lightly patting the gangly teen's shoulder. He really tried to keep his hand light, but after working on the Prison for so long, lugging stone block after stone block- well he forgets his own strength sometimes. But it seemed to work, as a heavy hand on the shoulder jolted Ranboo a bit with a surprised chirp sound. Purple particles even emitted in the air for a moment, fading away a second later as Ranboo glanced to his side. Multi-colored eyes stared for a moment, slowly focusing back into reality as he glanced around.

"... Sam?" He rasped a bit, like his voice hadn't been used in a bit.

"Yeah, its me. Spaced out there for a bit, buddy?"

Ranboo looked around again, as if trying to recall where he even was like he had forgotten. He probably has, given by the long pause as he tried to recollect his thoughts.

"Uh- yeah, yeah I guess I did..." He awkwardly clutched his elbows with his hands, instinctively slouching to the point he'd almost be eye-level with Sam.

' _Can't be good for his back_ ' Sam thought idly as he watched Ranboo's shoulders hike up, having once or twice scolded Tommy for bad posture. He told the kid that posture like that would bite him in the future, to which he just earned an Old Man insult, albeit light heartedly.

"Ranboo, where's your armor? And why are you so... dirty?"

The kid looked like he crawled out of a grave, and that's saying it politely.

Ranboo shifted, kicking the ground a bit as he weighed words in his head. Sam internally sighed, knowing it was probably just going to be another vague and flimsy excuse- or not even an excuse probably.

" _Its nothing that I can uh... tell you..._ "

And it _sucks_ , because Sam wants to trust the kid. The kid who was clearly not okay, has clearly been through something that he refuses to speak of ( _if he can remember at all_ ) Something had happened between Ranboo and Dream, and neither were going to talk about it, especially not to Sam. He wants to trust and help Ranboo, but as Warden he _can't_ \- not to the extent he would like, because Ranboo can't be within the Prison's territory after what happened with those damaged files.

"Its- a thing, can't really control it." Ranboo cleared his throat, eyes darting to look anywhere else besides at the creeper next to him. "Can't really remember, I- I was in the Tundra, last I remember" Ranboo trailed off a bit, reaching into his jacket for something, before his eyes snapped open. He patted the sides of his torn jacket, scrambling for something-

"Did you loose your book?" Again went unspoken, as Ranboo glanced around.

"I- didn't bring my ender chest" Pointed ears were lowered, and Sam gave a small huff.

"You can borrow mine, hang on." With little to no flourish the small, physics-defying chest was pulled out of his inventory and placed on the ground, the ender eye in the face of the chest staring lifelessly up at them. It was always a bit unnerving, but you just get used to it.

Ranboo scrambled to open the lid, peering into the void abyss as he began sifting through what was stored within. Papers shuffled around, and the familiar clinking of metal and gems gave the clear indication what was held within was riches, hoarded over time and effort. Eventually, the ender-hybrid made a happy noise as he gripped a leather bound journal in his clawed hands, multiple bookmarks held within.

With the chest closed, and his current memory book clutched in his grip (Sam had to guess for comfort, as well as trying to remember what transpired before his strange, spaced out state)

"Look, I know you don't want to tell me the truth about... whatever it is you're going through" Sam frowned behind his mask as Ranboo's face shifted to guilty, flicking bookmarks to try and distract his thoughts. "But- do you need help back to the Tundra? If you left your armor and weapons back there..." Traversing the Nether, no matter how skilled, is always a dangerous idea without gear on your back.

"No, no- I'll figure something out."

Sam gave him a look of doubt, but sighed. "Alright..."

"But I might just- stay here for a bit. Get my bearings, you know. Haven't been to the community house in awhile." Ranboo started, before clutching the book tighter. "If- that's alright."

"Yeah, don't worry, its fine." Sam was confused for a moment; why wouldn't Ranboo be welcomed to stay at the community house? Then, he recalled what went down just before Doomsday, as it was dubbed.

Ranboo hummed a bit, nodding as he glanced back to the newly remade building.

"Puffy did a good job renovating." He stated idly, ears twitching up slightly.

"Yeah, she did good." He nudged the enderman a bit, staring back down the path. "Heard you fixed the foundation."

"I mean a little bit, yeah."

The creeper-hybrid smiled behind the gas-mask, gesturing to the building as they casually strolled up without much care.

"Can't build anything without a foundation, Ranboo. You did what you could."

"Mhm, I would've done more, just living so far away haven't had the time really." The enderman shrugged, shoulders slowly relaxing. "Not always worth it to travel back and forth so much."

"Yeah? How's life up in the tundra?" Sam was curious- he doesn't visit the tundra much, not having much of a reason to do so... and not to catch the potential wrath of a local Piglin Anarchist.

"Its good- way less stressful then living here." Ranboo gave a small laugh, and Sam felt a tinge of pride and content knowing Ranboo had _some_ place quiet to go to. "Memories been better, at least until now."

"Sounds nice" Sam was curious what it'd be like, to live the secluded, snowy plains and be so far removed from everything. It seems so peaceful, compared to the chaotic lives of what was L'manburg, or the main Dream SMP area. "Start any projects over there?"

There was nothing wrong with a little small talk, right?

Ranboo nodded, a smile forming as Sam got the ender-hybrid to blab on about some things he was working on. Renovating his house in the mountain side, the farm- he even began making a vault.

"I just have so much stuff, I'm beginning to loose space in my ender chest to keep all my valuables."

"Hidden and all that?"

"Yep- I have to figure out more then that though, probably. Someone will see and try and dig it all up."

"Could set up some traps, key a door to something specific." Sam idly said, entering the community house and going back to sitting in his original spot. "Y'know that's how a lot of my doors work." He stated as he pulled out the small red stone lantern once more, fidgeting with a loose wire.

"If I could do something that complicated, maybe." Ranboo huffed a laugh a bit, awkwardly still standing before deciding to take a seat a few feet away. His knees curled up to his chest, giving him the space to rest his chin on them with his book clutched in his claws. "It would be handy."

"That it would" Sam agreed. He always enjoyed redstone projects, writing down blue prints, one after another and always more complicated then the last. It gave him a sense of satisfaction, to complete what was originally thought to be impossible. People's reactions always made it worth in the end as well, almost like a magician. It was a technical science, but from an outsider prospective was magic at his finger tips.

"I could teach you a basic door mechanism, if it would help." Ranboo's eyebrows raised a bit, and with that little ender-like chirp he pointed to the memory book. Sam chuckled a bit, shrugging. "Its just like fighting, Ran. If you practice enough, you won't forget the basics."

Ranboo weighed it in his mind, the concept. Then he spoke up, rather lowly and shyly.

"Why- why would you teach me? I thought you were mad, after the uh-" He trailed off, his internal thoughts left unspoken yet understood clearly. Sam shook his head, placing the lantern down for a minute, watching as Ranboo's ears and fingers twitch uncomfortably.

" _I'm not_ \- I'm not mad, Ranboo. As warden, I'm disappointed in you for lying- but I'm not mad."

"You're not?"

"No, I'm more concerned then anything." Sam really wished he could voice the reason _Why_ he's concerned; that Dream, like the fae in folk tales, tormented this kid badly but nobody was going to comment on it. It was nothing good, he was sure of it.

He would even eat his own crown if Dream somehow didn't have association with Ranboo's strange, dissociative state he was just broken out of. Something was not right, and he didn't like the sound of it. He didn't like not knowing what was wrong, and what else his prisoner had done.

"And yes, its nothing you can tell me; that's fine, I guess-" He huffed. "But know I'm not _mad_ , okay?"

Well, at least not at the kid. He's livid at the current occupant of Pandora's Box.

Ranboo didn't respond for a moment, before quietly nodding his head like he was confirming something in his mind. And then; "Yeah, okay- so, about that red stone?" He chuckled to try and wave off the nerves rolling off of him in waves.

Sam smiled behind the mask, and reached for a book in his pocket; it was filled with unfinished blue prints and plans, but thankfully he had some empty pages stuffed in it here and there.

"Alright, I'm guessing you have a lot of red stone in storage, and have the basics; so to make a vault door you need some pistons and repeaters..."

For the next few hours, the two just sat at the community house with papers constantly getting filled with notes and scribbled plans.

**Author's Note:**

> Adopt the anxiety filled enderman, Sam.
> 
> And unrelated but I 100% headcanon Dream is the fae. This is all personal ramblings as I cope with college, hope you get some serotonin out of it like I did.


End file.
